Believe it or not, moth damage accounts for more than half of the rug damages we encounter. They leave damaging secretions on the fabric that needs to be addressed immediately. They will even nest in wool type fabrics and seriously damage the rug. While the folks at the Denver Rug Clinic know all about restoring the rug even in cases of serious nesting (we have encountered some very serious nesting over the years), we want to take the time to tell you how to prevent it from reaching the tragic point in the first place. “Many of our customers bring their rugs to our shop for restoration because of moth damage, while it is very easy to keep those bugs away if you are armed with a few rug life hacks” said Mansour Fotovat, the founder of Oriental Rug & Carpet Clinic. Moths come around because they are attracted to something either about the rug, or the room the rug is in. Moths have a love affair with darkness, moisture and dust. If your rug steers clear of this trio so will the moths steer clear of your rug. If you want cash now, you can try same day loans, which provides you access to fast processing and instant funding on the day you apply. You will never have to wait again!
For us, wool is king, a Persian rug is the kingdom, and moths are the age old arch enemy.
Rugs in storage
Two out of three of our moth inflicted customers kept their rugs in some form of storage prior to retrieval. They’d either renovated their home, or simply came by a rug they didn’t know what to do with! Yes it breaks our heart too, but a few months of storage for a Persian, Kilim, or Navajo hand woven rug will be than enough for extensive moth nesting and secretions throughout the piece. So, if you’re going to store your rugs, for whatever reasons, follow these tips:
1- Have them professionally cleaned first. Do not store dirty rugs, doing so is a guaranteed invitation to unsettled moths looking for a place to stay.
2- Never store your rug in plastic. You might think you are preventing moths by doing so when in fact a plastic wrap will trap humidity, and make for a rather cozy moth nook. Instead, wrap it in a cotton sheet or any other natural material that allows air circulation.
3- Keep your rugs away from other wool products that may have not been cleaned.
4- Avoid keeping the rugs in a closet and other forms of really tight storage. No ventilation equals moth’s, and lots of them. So if you really have no other choice, be sure to manually air out the space every so often.
5- Open your rug and place it in an area where it can be exposed to some sunlight at least once every month.
Rugs inside the house
You’ll want to clean the rugs you do use as well. Depending on foot traffic, we recommend a 2 to 3 year cycle for your rug cleaning and maintenance.
Also, when you vacuum your home, be sure to get the areas of your rug tucked under the furniture. These areas are dark, dusty, and food particles can attract moths that enter the house; Not to mention how moths most frequently get trapped once they enter, remaining under your furniture and even decaying their.
Not to be paranoid, but you might also consider lifting up the edges of your rug every so often to check for nesting. It’s actually not that uncommon to find nesting there too.
For additional information, please contact Oriental Rug & Carpet Clinic.
